Oculus Quest is simply the best VR money can buy.

The single most fun thing about gaming is really experiencing those all-time watershed moments you’d never witnessed before…

Rotating the analogue stick to send Bowser flying into the third dimension in Mario 64.

Travelling up the elevator whilst infiltrating Shadow Moses Island in Metal Gear Solid.

Being blown away by the sheer vastness of the open plains in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Truly experiencing wireless virtual reality on the Oculus Quest has surpassed all of them for me.

 

 

In just twelve months, Facebook’s feisty headset has enabled developers to deliver amazing, immersive, interactive vistas in which one feels they can truly inhabit…without the trailing cables.

The Oculus Quest does away with the wires, much of the expense (you don’t need a monster PC, or any PC at all for that matter) and general fiddling that VR normally entails, lowering the barrier to entry in a phenomenal way.

If you think you’ve already dabbled with virtual reality because you’ve used your mate’s Samsung Gear VR or invested in Google’s Daydream – you haven’t.

This is also better than Playstation VR. Objectively.

Not a slight against Samsung’s landmark device or Sony’s connected effort (Resident Evil 7 remains the pinnacle of survival horror, in VR exclusively on Playstation), but with greater freedom of movement, improved accuracy and room-scale tracking without the faff of additional cameras, the Quest pips it.

The combination of the fidelity of the visuals, the granularity of interaction via hand tracking through the Quest’s dual controllers, as well as supporting mobility in a 3D space makes Oculus Quest hands-down the best way to leap into virtual reality.

 

 

JACK IN

One great aspect of VR is that the learning curve is essentially zero – you pop on the headset, adjust for comfort, and immediately you’re transported into another world.

This is even better through the Quest’s 1440 x 1600 OLED displays for each eye – sharp enough to avoid that ‘screen door’ effect that blighted earlier low-resolution devices – and bringing you into the action even more vividly with a silky 72Hz refresh rate.

The games are also here too – many of the banner titles are present and correct, delivering much the same thrilling degree of immersion found on beefier headsets like HTC’s Vive and the Oculus Rift…without needing a PC rig or console to make it sing.

There is a degree of compromise – the Snapdragon 835 processor powering the Quest was the beating heart of smartphones a few flagships ago – any slight (yet tangible) reduction in visual fidelity is far outweighed by the comfort and freedom that wireless VR lends.

Another added depth of immersiveness – and admitted complexity – is its pair of touch controllers. More akin to what you’d find with the premium headsets, this pair of virtual mitts feature buttons, thumbsticks and analogue triggers that add console-level dexterity as opposed to being a passive observer.

Now jumping from game to game means that control methods are often slightly different, so it takes a while to get to grips (no pun intended) with prodding, poking and picking things up.

However, an interactive tutorial upon firing up the device for the first time walks through all of the features, functions and settings to both ensure the headset is nice and snug on your head, as well as what you’ll be doing with your hands.

The big question then – is VR masterpiece Half Life: Alyx available on the Quest? Well, not quite…

Due to its sheer heft it’s a game that is unlikely to make the journey across, but there are ways of turning the Quest into a fully-fledged PC VR headset with the ‘Oculus Link’ software – meaning that it – and more – can be played via a USB-C cable.

 

 

SOUND ALL AROUND

Another important aspect the Quest has covered is audio – the directional sounds enveloping you is an all-important element of VR, and it delivers out of the box.

Rather than needing to pop on a pair of headphones, the Quest has a pair of recessed holes within the headband itself, piping the sounds directly into your ears all without making your ears hotter than the sun.

If you do want to take things a little deeper, a 3.5mm headphone jack means that you can bring your own cans to the VR party.

 

PUMPING VIRTUAL IRON

Another unexpected benefit of the Quest’s nimble form factor is a spate of fitness apps have arrived to VR, allowing you to get buff on a beach in Maui or a neon-drenched cityscape all from the comfort of your living room.

Whether it’s fully hand-tracked pugilism in Creed: Rise to Glory or the rhythm game vibes of BoxVR, the unfettered nature of the Oculus Quest is truly a gamechanger in terms of getting a full-body workout.

If that sounds a bit strenuous, there are also more sedate services that can be found on the Quest – YouTube VR is available, while Netflix offers that big-screen experience that we’ve all been missing in lockdown, projecting movies and shows in your own private virtual cineplex.

A selection of other apps like Virtual Desktop (turning your PC into a native virtual world), Bigscreen VR (another cinema app, freer in terms of what you can watch) or Quill Theatre (a menagerie of wonderful immersive animated shorts) means that the Quest is equally effective for content consumption as it is in making you sweat.

FIVE MUST-PLAY TITLES

So, you’ve invested in the exciting world of Oculus Quest. What are the titles that really deliver that ‘wow’ factor off the bat? Here are some of our favourites.

 

 

Space Pirate Trainer:

The Super Mario Bros. of VR experiences, the arcadey shoot ’em up action is the perfect gateway game.

Starting off slowly, and slowly ramping up in both pace and variety of pyrotechnic weapons, Space Pirate Trainer is the original and best demonstration of truly immersive gameplay.

 

 

Superhot VR:

Basically the real John Wick game, Superhot enables an innovative time-slowing mechanic which places you in the thick of John Woo-levels of bullet ballet, interspersed with using your fists and surrounding objects to defeat faceless opponents.

SUPER. HOT.

 

 

Star Wars: Vader Immortal:

This narrative-driven VR trilogy nails the look and feel of the venerable Star Wars saga, with an original tale placing you in the shoes of a smuggler destined for greater things…

With a brief yet thrilling plot which takes some unexpected directions, Vader Immortal allows you to witness thrilling moments from an entirely new perspective…and yes, you can have a lightsaber duel with Vader himself in Episode III.

 

 

Beat Saber:

Continuing the lightsaber theme but with a dash of Guitar Hero, Beat Saber lets you swipe and slash to the groove of an ever-growing playlist of current hits and original music, really showcasing the ability to let your creative flailing shine now untethered on Oculus Quest.

 

 

Tetris Effect:

Tetris is still a thing, but you’ve never experienced it like this before. Helmed by the musical visionary behind some of the greatest marriages of music and gaming in the industry, Tetris Effect is the same block-breaking gameplay but set against an emotional – and at times breathtaking – journey across Earth and the cosmos.

I cried a bit, not ashamed to admit it.

 

VERDICT

The price for gaming nirvana? £399 for the 64GB model, or £499 for the 128GB version.

There’s a reason that in the 12 months since launch the Quest has been incredibly tough to get – flitting in and out of stock on their own Oculus Store and changing hands for crazy sums on the Amazon Marketplace.

It’s simply that impressive. Not quite as easy to plonk on your mum and wow her, but rather a fully-fledged, all-in-one virtual reality package that simply smashes all expectations of just how much fun and immersive it can be!

Whether a VR die-hard or a gaming newbie – simply try the Oculus Quest, and be forever changed.

Review unit and codes provided by Oculus.

 

---